2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kawase
A Japanese surname meaning "river marsh".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Kawase. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kawase surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Kawase in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kawase, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.9%) and White (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kawase
The surname "KAWASE" originates from Japan, dating back to the 8th century AD. It is believed to have derived from the Japanese words "kawa" (river) and "se" (a rapid or torrent), suggesting a connection to waterways or areas near swift-flowing rivers.
The name was initially found in the Kansai region of Japan, particularly in the areas around Kyoto and Osaka. Some of the earliest records of the name appear in local tax registers and land ownership documents from the Heian period (794-1185 AD).
During the Kamakura period (1185-1333 AD), there are mentions of a Kawase family that served as samurai warriors under the Hojo clan, one of the most powerful families of the time. The name is also found in several literary works from this era, such as the epic tale of the Heike Monogatari.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Kawase was Kawase Nobuzane (1176-1242), a renowned poet and court official who served under the Kamakura shogunate. His son, Kawase Mitsutoki (1208-1286), was also a prominent figure, known for his contributions to the development of the Japanese tea ceremony.
During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Kawase family had a notable presence in the city of Edo (present-day Tokyo). Kawase Hikoemon (1630-1704) was a successful merchant and philanthropist who established a clinic for the treatment of smallpox, which was a significant public health issue at the time.
Another famous bearer of the name was Kawase Masajiro (1834-1906), a renowned painter and printmaker who played a crucial role in the revival of traditional Japanese woodblock printing techniques during the Meiji period (1868-1912).
Throughout history, the Kawase surname has also been associated with various place names in Japan, such as Kawase-mura (Kawase village) in Hiroshima Prefecture and Kawase-cho (Kawase town) in Osaka Prefecture. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and its potential origins related to rivers or waterways.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kawase
Among Census respondents with the surname Kawase, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.9%) and White (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Kawase bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Kawase surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander81.4% · 96
- Two or more races11.9% · 14
- White3.4% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kawase
Kawase appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-20 bearers (-15.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,871 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+5 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,690 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-15.0%) | Down 25,871 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.4%) | Up 2,690 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Kawase surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #146,201 | #143,511 | 1.8% |
| Count | 113 | 118 | 4.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kawase bearers went from 113 to 118 (+4.4% change). The surname moved up 2,690 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #143,511.
FAQ
Kawase surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kawase?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Kawase. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Kawase?
Kawase ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 118 people with the surname Kawase. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Kawase.
Has Kawase become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kawase went from 113 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 5 (+4.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #146,201 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Kawase?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kawase, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.9%) and White (3.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kawase in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.4% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kawase appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (81.4%), Two or More Races (11.9%), White (3.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Kawase (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Kawase mean?
A Japanese surname meaning "river marsh". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Kawase (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Kawase?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.